Monterey Bay Mystery

 

Blurb

Amanda Warren is looking for a second chance in the cozy coastal town of Ocean Wood, but what she finds is a psychic cat and a purrfectly puzzling mystery! Out of luck and out of money, Amanda’s pink dog grooming van is running on fumes when she rolls into the foggy town of Ocean Wood. Seeking a new beginning and a reunion with her twin sister, she finds her sister missing and a dead body in her house. Amanda is determined to clear her sister’s name, but all the quirky, charming neighbors of this Monterey Bay town seem to have a motive. Which one of them is a killer? With time running out, Amanda teams up with her sister’s psychic, amnesiac cat to untangle this fur-midable mystery and sniff out the killer before Amanda’s second chance becomes her last.

Thoughts

The main attraction of this Seren Star Goode book for me was the giant talking cat named Grok. He is sentient but suffers from amnesia. Grok’s human Alexandra is missing from her home when her twin sister Amanda visits her. So, (a confused) Grok refers to Amanda as the clone!

Amanda, mistaken for Alexandra by a hilarious bunch of neighbors, struggles to get answers to her questions. Add a grumpy police chief to the mix. All these funny elements make this enjoyable.

However, the plot seems oddly put together. The switch between Grok’s and Amanda’s points of view is slightly disorienting. The conclusion is interesting but seems rather sudden.

Note: I received a free copy of this book from BookSirens in exchange for an honest review.

Deadly Quiet

Blurb

Eliza Fox must be smarter than the police and a step ahead of the killer.

When an exchange student is found dead in the music practice rooms of Wexford College, there are few suspects and no clear answers. Martina Noto's parents will fly into California from Rome as soon as they can, but until then the nearest relatives are Martina's cousins: Private Investigator Eliza Fox and her mother, Francesca Noto-Fox.

As detectives Byron Comstock and Jessica Fonseca get familiar with the case, Eliza is determined to help catch Martina's killer. She quickly begins her own investigation and is soon caught up in the twists and turns of finding the murderer, a far cry from her usual work as a paralegal. Often out of her depth, Eliza must overcome her own inexperience and learn to trust her instincts as she fumbles through her first high-stakes case.

Filled with both humor and suspense, this is one traditional mystery novel you don't want to miss.

 

Thoughts

This book by Cathleen Watkins was supposed to be a quick, easy, relaxing read. However, the unexpected heat wave in my part of the world and a few health issues made it slightly laborious.

The story lacked depth because it was told from multiple perspectives, and the back stories of the characters were not well-developed. Although touted as an Eliza Fox mystery, the police seem to have a prominent role in the investigation.

The locale and campus life were described well. Eliza’s methods of gathering information and using a journalist to pressure the police were interesting.

As I was in the middle of reading the V. I. Warshawski mystery series by Sara Paretsky, I couldn’t help comparing the two. But it is early days, and this is just book one in the Eliza Fox series.

So, overall, I would rate this an okay read.

Note: I received an advance copy from BookSirens in return for an honest review.

Catch the Girl (Mercy Harbor #3)

Catch The Girl is the third book in the Mercy Harbor thriller series by Melinda Woodhall. I somehow finished the book because I had agreed to post a review in exchange for a free copy. 

Never again! The next time I face such a situation, I will mark DNF and move on. I will not read the fourth book in the series. 

This is not to say that the writing or the plot is bad. Either the genre is not right for me or the time I chose to read this series. That is all!

Note: BookSirens provided a free copy in exchange for an honest review. 

Girl Eight (Mercy Harbor #2)

Girl Eight is the second book in the Mercy Harbor thriller series by Melinda Woodhall. I started reading it in the hope that I would like it better than River Girls, the first book in the series. 

It had pretty much the same positive and negative points as River Girls. The only difference was that the victims here were young drug addicts instead of abused women. 

It was nice to see Leo and Eden’s relationship evolve. However, the lack of clarity about the villain’s motive was disappointing. 

Once again, I liked the plot and writing but not the book. 

Note: BookSirens provided a free copy in exchange for an honest review. 

River Girls (Mercy Harbor #1)

When I first came upon The River Girls by MelindaWoodhall, I was excited because it was the first book in a thriller series (Mercy Harbor). I thought thrillers would give me the respite I wanted from the memoirs that I was reading in 2020. I was wrong.

Let me begin with the positives.

• The book had two strong female protagonists. Eden Winthrop who runs a shelter for abused women and detective Nessa Ainsley. Although Eden seemed fragile, she turned out to be strong in times of crisis. Nessa, the only female detective in her unit, was tough and dedicated. 
• The mystery was intriguing because of multiple plot threads. 
• The secondary characters were well-developed and helped move the story along.

However, I disliked the book probably because this was not the right time for me to read it.

The instances of innocent girls being abused—forcible use of illegal drugs, domestic violence, sexual assault, kidnapping, murder, human trafficking—were unbearable.
That some law enforcement officials were lackadaisical/corrupt/evil also added to it.

I was already reeling from an excess of fear, anger, and sadness. This book gave me no relief, no hope.

Note: BookSirens provided a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Christmas at Waratah Bay

Summary: Sarah Carlton, a successful model, has come to Waratah Bay from New York to visit Harold Leishman who is in the hospital. She considers him her grandfather and wishes that he spends what could possibly be his last Christmas at his home.

Farming tycoon Max Ramsey bought Harold’s home and has been a friend to him ever since. He mistakes Sarah for one of Harold’s adopted daughters, who he knows are greedy just like their mother. Sarah does not correct him and carries on with her plan on taking Harold home.

Max worries about Harold’s health and invites them to celebrate Christmas at his house (Harold’s house that he bought). However, he still hopes to have a quiet and peaceful Christmas. 

Sarah goes all out with the decorations and food. She also welcomes Max’s sister and her family who land there because of an unforeseen situation.

This book by Marion Lennox is about how Sarah and Max, who are lonely people with past secrets, fall in love with each other amidst an unexpectedly hectic Christmas.

My thoughts: This is a sweet, emotional holiday story, which emphasizes the importance of family and friends rather than wealth and luxury.

Although Sarah is shown as a beautiful and strong woman who makes things happen, her cooking skills or the lack of them makes her more believable. Although Max seems grumpy and anti-social, he is a true friend to Harold and a great brother to his siblings.

I also liked Max's sister and her family almost as much as I liked Max, Sarah and Harold.

Marion’s description of the Christmas holidays with all the craziness of unexpected guests, dogs, and a stubbornly frozen turkey is wonderful.

Although this is the first book in the 'Christmas Around the World' series, it has a standalone story.

Note: The publishers, Tule Publishing, gave this book to me in exchange for an honest review. I thank them for that.